Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DEVICE FOR GETTING RID OF UNDESIRABLE ANIMALS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
[1] The present invention generally relates to animal prevention devices,
but more particularly to a
device for getting rid of undesirable animals.
2. Description of Related Art
[2] It is well known that on some properties various small mammals, both
wild and domesticated,
can create minor damages or just be a nuisance. Although many traps have been
created to capture
wild animals such as raccoon, foxes, etc., the traps designed not to harm the
animal may not be
appropriate when it comes to scaring a domesticated pet, such as the
neighbor's cat or dog.
[3] Some prior art that has attempted to address this problem. For example,
US2837056 to Kanta
discloses a device providing a way for breaking animals, such as dogs and
other pets of the habit of
eating any food except that given to them by their owners at a customary
place. The device is adapted
to be concealed by a scrap of food, and having compression or tension operated
means for striking the
animal a sharp blow on the mouth or jaw when he attempts to remove the food
scrap. Other patents
such as US1936150 to Adams, for example, uses a similar mechanism, but
intended as a toy configured
to make an "explosive" sound.
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[4] US5103769 to Macintosh does describe an invention directed at deterring
animals from
engaging in prohibited behavior. A flap pivots about retainers mounted on a
base. An elastic member
extends from under the base to a protruding tab on the flap. Disturbance of
the base, such as by the
undesired activity of a pet, causes movement of the flap relative to the base
and contraction of the
elastic. The flap accelerates about the retainers and impacts against the
base. This generates a sharp
startling sound and movement of the device which acts to discontinue the
activity and deter the animal
from the repeated occurrence of such behavior.
[5] However, the prior art fails to show a device that is configured to
propel an animal airborne so
as to actually scare the animal, which goes beyond simple loud noises of nose
nipping as taught in the
prior art. Consequently, there is therefore need for improvement in the prior
art.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[6] In one embodiment of the present invention, a device for getting rid of
undesirable animals is
provide, comprising a base plate having a first top surface and a first bottom
surface; a catapulting plate
having a second top surface and a second bottom surface, wherein the
catapulting plate is hingedly
attached to the base plate via a first hinge member; a biasing member attached
to the base plate and the
catapulting plate, the biasing member configured to force the device in an
opened position, wherein the
opened position is defined as the catapulting plate positioned and extended
away from the base plate at
a maximum angle allowed by the first hinge member; a trigger plate attached to
a stub member
hingedly attached to the top surface of the catapulting plate via a second
hinge member; a hook
member positioned on the first top surface; an opening provided on the
catapulting plate, the opening
enabling the hook member to pass through the catapulting pate, such that the
hook member is
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configured to engage the second hinge member when the device is in a closed
position; and, wherein
the device is configured to move from the closed position to the opened
position when the trigger plate
is pushed downwardly.
In one embodiment, the base plate and the catapulting plate are the same size
and shape. In one
embodiment, the base plate and the catapulting plate are rectangular. In
another embodiment, the hook
member comprises a first notch and a second notch, and the first notch is
configured to engage the
second hinge member when the device is in the closed position. In one
embodiment, the stub member
is configured to push against the second notch disengaging the second hinge
member from the first
notch when the trigger plate is pushed downwardly, freeing the catapulting
plate from the hook
member and moving the device from the closed position to the opened
positioned. In another
embodiment, the hook member is attached to a hook spring, wherein the hook
spring is configured to
pull the hook member towards the first top surface of the base plate providing
the force necessary for
the hook member to stay engaged with the second hinge member. In yet another
embodiment, the
trigger plate is configured to accept bait to attract an undesirable animal.
In one embodiment, the
trigger plate is centrally positioned on the second top surface, such that the
undesirable animal is
required to be fully on top of the catapulting plate to access the bait. In
one embodiment, the
undesirable animal is configured to be catapulted in the air when the device
moves from the closed
position to the opened positioned.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
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[71 Other features and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent when the
following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[8] FIG. IA is an isometric view of a device for getting rid of undesirable
animals in an open
position according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[9] FIG. 1B is an isometric view of a device for getting rid of undesirable
animals in a closed
position according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[10] FIG. 2 is an alternative angle of FIG. 1A;
[11] FIG. 3A is a rear view a device for getting rid of undesirable animals
according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[12] FIG. 3B is a side view a device for getting rid of undesirable animals
according to an
embodiment of the present invention; and,
[13] FIG. 3C is a detailed view of FIG. 3B.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[14] The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the
art to make and use the
invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of
carrying out their invention.
Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled
in the art, since the
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general principles of the present invention have been defined herein to
specifically provide a device for
getting rid of undesirable animals. The word "a" is defined to mean "at least
one."
[15] Referring to any of the accompanying figures, a device 10 for getting rid
of undesirable
animals is illustrated. The device comprises a base plate 12 and a catapulting
plate 14. In one
embodiment, the base plate may be a variety of shapes, however preferably the
base plate is
constructed from a rectangular shape. In one embodiment, the striking plate
may be a variety of
shapes, however preferably the catapulting plate is constructed from a
rectangular shape. In one
embodiment, the catapulting plate is preferably the same shape and size as the
base plate. The base
plate and catapulting plate both include a top and bottom surface.
[16] In one embodiment, the catapulting plate is hingedly attached to the base
plate a first hinge
member 16. In one embodiment, a biasing member 22 is provided. The biasing
member is positioned
on the top surface of the catapulting plate and the bottom surface of the base
plate, wherein the biasing
member is configured to force the device in an open position as seen in FIG.
IA. The open position is
defined as the catapulting plate positioned and extended away from the base
plate at a maximum angle
allowed by the first hinge member. In one embodiment, the maximum angle is 90
degrees, however it
is understood that the maximum angle may vary. In one embodiment, the basing
member is securely
attached to each plate via mechanical fasteners 24, such as nuts and bolts.
[17] In one embodiment, a trigger plate 18 is hingedly attached to the top
surface of the catapulting
plate via a second hinge member 19 by way of stub member 30. In one
embodiment, the base plate
comprises a hook member 20 on the top surface of the base plate. The hook
member comprises a first
notch 21 and a second notch 23, best seen in FIG. 3C. An opening 28 is
positioned on the catapulting
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plate such that when the catapulting plate is in a closed position, the hook
extends through the opening
as seen in FIG. 1B. During operation, a user exerts the necessary force to
push the catapulting plate
towards the top surface of the base plate, allowing the hook to extend through
the opening. Next, the
hook member, and more specifically the first notch of the hook member connects
and engages with the
second hinge member. In one embodiment, the hook member is attached to a hook
spring 26, pulling
the hook member towards the top surface of the base plate providing the force
necessary for the hook to
stay engaged with the second hinge member. Once engaged, the device is in a
closed or "loaded"
position as shown in FIG. 1B. The device is now ready to be used.
[18] During use, bait may be placed on trigger plate. It is a particular
advantage of the present
invention to position the trigger plate well within the catapulting plate,
such that an animal is required
to be fully on top of the catapulting plate to access the bait placed on the
trigger plate. In one
embodiment, well within is defined as centrally positioned. When the trigger
plate is pushed
downward, via the animal eating the bait, the trigger plate rotates around the
second hinge member,
which pushes stub member 30 against the second notch 23 of the hook member,
disengaging the
second hinge member from the first notch 21 freeing the catapulting plate from
the hook member.
Next, the stored potential energy via the biasing member is transferred into
kinetic energy swinging or
catapulting the plate into an open position, providing enough force to propel
the animal into the air.
[19] It is a particular advantage to provide the device in a verity of
sizes so as to be best adapted to
various animal sizes ranging from field mice to raccoons. Typically, animals
are guided to the device
by creating some sort of fencing made out of any of a variety of obstacles
around it, such that hat there
is only one way to get to the device. The device itself is preferably covered
with leaves and other
naturally occurring material so as to act as camouflage. The animal can still
smell the bait and find its
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way to it. The location of the bait on the trigger plate, and the positioning
of the trigger plate on the
catapulting plate, as well as the adapted size of the catapulting plate
according to animal size, ensures
that the animal will be adequately propelled when fully standing on top of
catapulting plate. In one
embodiment, the bottom surface of the base plate may comprise feet providing
stability and friction.
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[20] Although the invention has been described in considerable detail in
language specific to
structural features and or method acts, it is to be understood that the
invention defined in the appended
claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described.
Rather, the specific features
and acts are disclosed as exemplary preferred forms of implementing the
claimed invention. Stated
otherwise, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology
employed herein, as well as the
abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as
limiting. Therefore, while
exemplary illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described,
numerous variations and
alternative embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. Such
variations and alternate
embodiments are contemplated, and can be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the
invention.
[21] It should further be noted that throughout the entire disclosure, the
labels such as left, right,
front, back, top, bottom, forward, reverse, clockwise, counter clockwise, up,
down, or other similar
terms such as upper, lower, aft, fore, vertical, horizontal, oblique,
proximal, distal, parallel,
perpendicular, transverse, longitudinal, etc. have been used for convenience
purposes only and are not
intended to imply any particular fixed direction or orientation. Instead, they
are used to reflect relative
locations ancUor directions/orientations between various portions of an
object.
[22] In addition, reference to "first," "second," "third," and etc. members
throughout the disclosure
(and in particular, claims) are not used to show a serial or numerical
limitation but instead are used to
distinguish or identify the various members of the group.
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